Ten Tests for the Care Review

Overall – does it make another Residential Child Care possible?

People and parenting

What does it have to say about the people doing the caring task, the Residential Child Care Workers?

How does it show it understands the assessed needs of the children needing care?

Does it recommend that all forms of residential accommodation for children must provide care as well as support?

Practice        

Does the Care Review establish the means for the national delivery of workforce development?

Does it recognise that the current level 3 is not fit for purpose and needs to be a new level 4?

Does it state the need for the development of allied professions such as psychiatry, psychology, therapies, education, play?

Promotion

Does it include the call for a Government led recruitment campaign?

Does it establish the means for the positive stories and outcomes of Residential Child Care to be appreciated and disseminated?

Policy

Is there a definite plan for the development of Residential Child Care to expand the sector to offer the range of settings seen previously?

Is there a definite plan explained for the development of specialist care for high level and complex needs that can end unregulated provision?

Pay

The focus has been on profits not the people who do the caring.

Does the Care review recommend the same pay and terms and conditions for all Residential Child Care Workers?

Does it recognise and address the fact that low pay guarantees a continual drift from residential care and recommend solutions?

Planning

Does it create a sector by LAs being directed to conduct a needs audit so that it is the assessed needs of young people that establishes planned provision as local as possible as specialist as necessary. A needs audit will lead to local, regional, and national planning.

Profession

Does it give residential child care professional status?

Does it call for the establishing of a professional association of and registration for all workers in Residential Child Care?

This will redress the current imbalance in children’s services.

Place

Does it place residential care as an equal and valid choice amongst other options?

Does it end the use of residential care as a ‘last resort’?

Permanency

Does the Care Review include a ‘freezing protocol’ to place on hold any placement move that has not been assessed as being in the child’s best interests?

Does the Care Review recognise a children’s home as a home, not an intervention?

Does the Care Review act to eradicate the ‘care cliff’ at 16/18 and recommend Staying Put not Staying Close?

Does it demonstrate leadership asserting that the right place, at the right time in the best location is the most efficient method of spending, and the most effective in meeting needs and assuring positive outcomes?

Participation

Does the Care review recognise that consultation is not participation?

What does the Care Review have to say about the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child?

The above was signalled by NCERCC in May 2021. There has been time for all of the above to be addressed. A public statement was issued here also.

Download the NCERCC Ten tests for the Care Review – evaluation document here

For you to use to make your own comments as you read the Care Review and for summative scoring